Posted: September 23, 2024 | Categories: Customer service, Leadership, Management, Team Building, Time management

You already know this, but let me remind you anyway: A winning team considers their time to be gold, and they treat it as such.

Recently I was working with a company that is in BtoB manufacturing. This company was profitable yet they believed they could be more so. The company did an assessment and discovered that much of their time was wasted by bottlenecks and distractions. When it all added up, it was apparent that there was much room for increased efficiency. The next thing they did was hire a skilled QC expert. We’ll call him Ken.

Ken got to work quickly. He set up a giant display board that showed each project and where things stood in the process. This visible factor alone helped tighten everyone’s focus. Then some things started to happen: Ken was “3 places at once” talking to each person in production to make sure they had what they needed to do their part. Whatever they needed, Ken made sure it was quickly provided. Before it was common for operators to go get something and spend 15 minutes along the way to talk to fellow workers. This was a big time saver.

Ken continued to examine every step of the process and was able to expand on the improved efficiency. In a short time, the difference in efficiency showed up, and the benefits went right to the bottom line. The company became more profitable.

If you and your team are committed to excellence, you must manage time well. Treat every project or order as if it were a “hot potato”. Keep it moving. You will build a sense of urgency into your working environment. It’s a great feeling!

Posted: August 19, 2024 | Categories: Customer service, Sales, Self-Improvement

“Good manners are made of petty sacrifices”

-Henry David Thoreau

One of the most time-worn expressions we hear is “go the extra mile”.  I think it is time we all take a step back and go deeper in to the extra mile concept and how we benefit when we incorporate this mantra into our daily experience.

I recently experienced a sterling example of this:  It began nearly 10 years ago when I won a raffle prize at a marketing event.  My prize was two $25 gift cards to a local auto service shop.  Since I already had a place to service my car, my wife and I set the cards aside. The years went by and a couple months ago we decided we would try out the gift cards rather than just throw them away.  When we arrived at the shop, the owner greeted us with a hearty smile and cheerfully agreed to honor the gift cards.  We used one of the cards and got some new wiper blades.

A couple months later I had some used motor oil I wanted to dispose of.  I went to the same place.  The owner saw me in the parking lot and eagerly came out to greet me and accept the oil.  This was the second time that fellow went the “extra mile”, and this time I was hooked.

This week I needed to purchase a new set of tires.  I headed straight to the friendly shop and they had me fixed up in an hour.  As a drive away, I was a happy customer and committed to stay that way.  We respect and appreciate those who go the extra mile for us, and they earn our loyalty. (And get our money)

Posted: July 12, 2024 | Categories: Customer service, Leadership, Management, Sales

World War II hero Eddie Rickenbacker became CEO of Eastern Airlines in the early 50’s.  He believed that a critical factor in managing customer relationships and motivating staff was the way we manage ‘moments of truth”.  He defined such moments as, “any opportunity a customer (or potential customer) has to form an impression about a company, product, or service”.

A couple   weeks ago I had such a moment as a customer.  I had purchased a pair of casual pants from a well-known retailer in the area.  One day, when putting on my pants my toe caught an adjustor strap right at the cuff.  The cuff tightened, and when I tried to loosen it, I couldn’t.

A couple days later we took the garment to the service desk of the store where we made the purchase.  We explained the problem to the person behind the desk.  We could quickly see that she had no idea of how to help us, and she went to the back room and brought the store manager back with her.  As soon as the manager saw us, she smiled and quickly diagnosed our problem.  There was a special button that needs to be pressed and she demonstrated it to us as she released the tension on the strap.  The problem was solved!  We had a good laugh and before we left we spent over $100 on additional items.  We had just experienced a moment of truth that was managed successfully with tangible results.  Take the number of employees you have times the customer interactions each one has per day, and you have the moments of truth.  If you learn to consistently manage these instances well, your efforts will pay off royally.

Posted: April 3, 2024 | Categories: Customer service, Presentation skills

As a customer, have you ever had an interaction from a company representative that left you with a “bad taste in your mouth”?  Something in the words, tone of voice, or body language didn’t set right with you, and you felt ourselves pulling away.  This type of situation can often be the beginning of the end to a good relationship.

I had such an experience at the beginning of this year.  It was New Year’s Day, and my wife and I decided to take a walk in a private nature preserve that we had been going to for nearly 50 years.  Not only is this a special place, we are dues-paying members.

Joyce and I had just completed a walk on one of the trails, and we were sitting in our car sipping coffee.  An official vehicle pulled up beside us, and the security agent motioned to me to roll down my window.  He said, “You can’t park here.  There is a special event planned.  Did you see the sign?”  No, we didn’t see the sign, and if we had, we wouldn’t be there.  We left.  Afterwards, I kept thinking of how we were approached.  What if he had begun in a more friendly way?  For example, he could have said, “Hello folks.  You two look like you been here before”.  We would  have replied saying about how long we had been coming here, and how much we love the place.  Next, the security person could have said, “As much as I hate to, I have to tell you we are having a special event here in 30 minutes, and this section is closed.  Here are the areas that are open.  I am sorry to interrupt your visit.”  If he had said this in a friendly way, we would have understood and been OK with it.  Because of his abrupt approach, he left us disappointed with our visit.

Here are the stats regarding why customers leave:

• 15%  Quality problems
• 15%  Price
• 70%  Disliked the human side of doing business with the previous product or service

Our membership renewal will come up in September.  Normally, I would not have given a second thought to staying a member.  Now, I am not so sure.  Here is the message:  When you have to confront, begin in a friendly way.  The person you are talking to will almost always be more friendly and understanding.

Posted: February 15, 2024 | Categories: Customer service, Sales, Self-Improvement

This message is only taught to sales professionals, but it applies to all of us.  If we want to be in step with someone, always check our assumptions to see if they are correct.

Here is a painful example:  Many years ago I was facilitating a sales training session and we were covering the part of the sales process that included “check questions”.  Check questions are asked when we need to check the correctness of our assumptions.  One of our class participants was a car salesman and shared a conversation he had with a potential buyer.  The prospect was considering buying a new Corvette as a college graduation present for his daughter.  The customer asked, “Is this car fast?”.  Immediately the salesperson enthusiastically replied, “Absolutely!  This car will go up to 180mph!” As soon as he said that, the expression on the customer’s face went from happy to scared.  He did not want to give his daughter a car that went that fast.  The deal was off.  It cost the salesperson a $1700 commission.  He learned his lesson.  He said the next time he will ask a question first before he answered like, “Is speed important to you?”  This question would have allowed him to stay in step.

This story carries a lesson for all of us to remember:  Before we assume, check our assumption with a good “check question”. By doing this we will save ourselves unecessary stress, and maybe even a friendship!